A new research paper has found misogyny and racism are pervasive in the harassment of female politicians, their staff and their families.
It comes as the Justice Minister is getting advice on law changes to better protect publicly elected officials, particularly at their homes.
University of Otago researchers interviewed 11 MPs across the political divide in 2023, who reported being assaulted with weapons, threatened with rape and subjected to death threats.
One MP said she received “deeply, deeply vile” abuse, including a threat to cut her throat, while another told researchers “[threats of] rape just get thrown about all the time”.
Two MPs said they had been assaulted with weapons, while another reported having a fake gun – that she believed was real – aimed at her at close range.
The research, led by psychiatry registrars Dr Rhiannon Watson and Dr Lucy Hammans, builds on a previous survey of both male and female parliamentarians published last year.
Watson said threats of physical and sexual violence had become commonplace for female parliamentarians, with MPs reporting being threatened in person, over the phone, online on social media and in emails.
Hammans said misogyny was ubiquitous in the harassment of female MPs, which also targeted their staff, and their families, and was further complicated by racism for some.
Levels of harassment rose when women attained more senior roles, and when they were in government rather than opposition roles, the research found.
One MP commented: “There is no doubt in my mind that it is absolutely aimed at impeding us from doing our jobs and from being MPs … it is absolutely aimed at driving us out.”
The research paper said many MPs reported comments on their appearance, challenges to their competence because they were female, and being called ‘slut’ and ‘bitch’.
Among the long-serving MPs, two said the abuse had contributed to their decision to retire, while others thought they would have reconsidered taking up the role if they had known then what they knew now.
The senior author on the research paper, Professor Susanna Every-Palmer, said the psychosocial impact of harassment on female parliamentarians was considerable and at worst associated with flashbacks and thoughts of suicide.
Gender-based harassment was having a profound impact on female parliamentarians, challenging representation in politics and the fabric of democracy, she said.
Every-Palmer said a “multi-faceted response” was needed that included establishing a central body to monitor and coordinate the response to abuse, as well as developing guidelines on abuse for police and parliamentarians.
She also recommended New Zealand legislation on online violence, the Harmful Digital Communications Act, needed to be updated, as it specified individual comments must cause serious emotional distress and required the police to demonstrate the abuser has the intent to cause harm.
New legislation requiring social media providers to address and prevent online abuse, backed up by a robust enforcement regime, was also needed, she said.
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